Unit Warm-Up
Journal: Chalk Activity
For this activity, you will need the following materials:
- some pieces of chalk
- three small plastic containers, like food storage bowls
- some water
- some vinegar
Follow these steps:
- Label your three bowls A, B, and C.
- Place one piece of chalk in bowl A and cover the chalk with water.
- Place one piece of chalk in bowl B and cover the chalk with vinegar.
- Take another piece of chalk and crush it into several small pieces, place the pieces into bowl C, and then cover them with vinegar.
As you progress through the unit, revisit these bowls on day one and day three and record your observations in your journal. Please write your journal entry in the Journal template. You will submit your journal at the end of this unit.
Chalk has the same chemical composition as limestone rock. Vinegar is an acidic substance. Other acidic substances exist naturally in the atmosphere and other parts of the environment. Based on your observations, how do you think natural acids in the environment act on limestone rocks? How can this process be a means of changing the shape of the landscape?
